Buq'ata

Buq'ata (Arabic: بقعاثا, romanized: Buqʿāthā; Hebrew: בוקעאתא) is a town in southwestern Syria, in the Quneitra Governorate, Golan Heights. It has been under Israeli occupation since 1967 and is administered by Israel as a local council. The town has a predominantly Druze population. Buq'ata covers an area of 7,000 dunams (7 km2) between two mountains in the Golan Heights, Mount Hermonit and Mount Varda. Located 1,070 metres above sea level, it had a population of 6,982 in 2024. Granted the right to obtain Israeli citizenship following the passage of the Golan Heights Law, as of 2012 most of the residents, like the majority of Druze in the Golan Heights, had adopted permanent residency but refused Israeli citizenship and instead retained Syrian citizenship. Citizenship applications increased sharply following the collapse of Syria's Assad regime; Israel's Ministry of the Interior indicated that about 41% of Buq'ata's residents had become Israeli citizens by March 2026. Buq'ata is one of the four remaining Syrian-Druze communities on the Israeli-occupied portion of the Golan Heights, the others being Majdal Shams, Ein Qiniyye and Mas'ade. Geologically and geographically a distinction is made between the Golan Heights and Mount Hermon, the boundary being marked by the Sa'ar Stream; however, administratively they are usually grouped together. Buq'ata and Mas'ade are on the Golan side of the boundary, characterised by black volcanic rock (basalt), while Majdal Shams and Ein Qiniyye are on the Hermon side, thus sitting on limestone. History The presence of Druze around Mount Hermon is documented since the founding of the Druze religion in the beginning of the 11th century. Buq'ata was founded in the 1880s by families from the neighboring town of Majdal Shams. It was established on a late antique and medieval settlement where sherds from the Roman, Byzantine and Mamluk periods were found. Greek inscriptions were discovered at the village. Buq'ata was destroyed in 1888 during a series of feuds between rival villages in the area, and again in 1925, during the Great Syrian Revolt against the French mandatory rule. It became part of independent Syria in 1946. In the course of the Six-Day War in 1967, the town was captured by Israel. Buq'ata achieved Israeli local council status in 1982. During the Syrian civil war, some of the violence in nearby Syria spilled over into Buq'ata, where residents loyal to President Bashar al-Assad clashed with activists identifying with the Syrian opposition. Demography According to data compiled by Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics in 2001, Buq'ata ranked 2 out of 10 on the national socioeconomic index. In 2000, 72.5% of Grade 12 students graduated with a Bagrut matriculation certificate. In 2021, 98.9% of students matriculated, 2nd best in the country, though only 1.1% did so at the maximum level of mathematics and English studies, 9th worst in the country. The inhabitants of Buq'ata have permanent residency in Israel and receive social welfare benefits from Israel. Economy The local economy is predominantly agricultural, with apples and grapes being the main crops. In 2013, Buq'ata harvested 55,000 tons of apples, which it sold to markets in Israel or Syria. This arrangement still worked in 2013, but was then under threat due to the civil war in Syria. See also Druze in Syria Status and position of Golan Heights Druze References Bibliography External links Media related to Buqata at Wikimedia Commons